1. You can G OD’S P OWER Today Experience Things You Need to Know 4

2. Four Things You Need to Know to Experience God’s Power Today Jesus ’ last words before He returned to heaven were, “ You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses... ” ( Acts 1:8). That promise was not only for His disciples then, it is for all Christians of all ages. You, too, can experience the power of God in your own life. And you can become a powerful witness for Him. To do this, you need to understand four powerful truths:

3. 1 Jesus has COMMISSIONED you to be His WITNESS. Christ’s Commission Our Responsibility 1. Christ has commissioned all Christians to be His witnesses. 2. He said, “You will be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8; See also Mt 28:19:20). 1. The responsibility of every Christian is to witness for Christ. 2. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). 3. Our response to Him must be, “Here am I. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). But, some may wonder, How can a person like me become a powerful witness for Christ?

4. 2 Christ has PROMISED you His POWER. A Promise for All A Command for All Peter said, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39) “Jesus gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 1:4-5). Some may ask, Can someone know that they have received God’s power?

5. 3 You can KNOW FOR SURE that you have received God’s power. You Can Know 1. Just as the early disciples knew when someone had received the Spirit, so can you: “All the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also, for they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God” (Acts 10:45- 46 NASB). 2. NOTE: They knew the Gentiles had been filled with the Spirit because they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God.

6. Two Evidences 3 You can KNOW FOR SURE that you have received God’s power (Cont). When you are filled with the Spirit you can expect two wonderful results: 1. You will speak in a new language. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4; See also Acts 10:46 and19:6). 2. You will witness for Christ. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses (Acts 1:8; See also Acts 4:31). How, then, can someone receive God’s power?

7. 4 You can RECEIVE God’s power THROUGH FAITH The Promise of Faith Like salvation, Spirit baptism is received by faith (Gal. 3:14). 2. He also said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). 1. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:38-39).

8. 4 You can RECEIVE God’s power THROUGH FAITH (Cont.) Three Steps of Faith To be filled with the Spirit and receive God’s power, just take these three simple “faith steps”: 1. Ask in Faith. Jesus said, “So I say to you: ‘Ask and it will be given to you... your Father in heaven [will] give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’” (Luke 11:9-13). 2. Receive by Faith. Jesus also said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24; See also Luke 11:10). 3. Speak in Faith. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4).

9. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, do this... Approach God’s throne of grace with confidence. 1. Jesus has made the way clear for you to receive (Heb. 10:19-20). 2. Claim His promise: “Everyone who asks receives” (Luke 11:10). 3. Don’t doubt; the promise is yours (Acts 2:39). Ask the Father for His gift. 1. Boldly pray this prayer: Jesus, You promised. You said if I would ask, You would give me Holy Spirit. You said that everyone who asks receives. So, I ask You, right now, fill me with your Spirit, and empower me to be Your witness. 2. As you pray, believe. 3. You will sense the Spirit’s presence as He comes upon you.

10. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, do this... Receive the Spirit. 1. Receiving the Spirit is a bold present-tense step of faith. It occurs in a moment of time when the promise is fully believed and acted upon. 2. It can be compared to Peter’s step of faith when he, at the command of Jesus, stepped from the boat and began to walk on water (Matt. 14:29). 3. As you pray, believe that God is hearing and answering your prayer. Believe that, at this very moment, He is filling you with His Spirit. 4. Pray and truly believe this simple prayer: “I am now full of the Holy Spirit.” 5. As you pray, feel the presence of God filling you.

11. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, do this... Speak as the Spirit directs. 1. Allow the Holy Spirit to gush forth from deep inside. 2. As He does, yield to Him your vocal organs and lips. 3. You will begin to speak words in a language you have never learned. Don’t be afraid. God is filling you with His presence and power! Yield yourself more and more to the Spirit. 1. Let the words flow out of you. 2. Speak with all of your heart, holding nothing back, trusting God to do His part (Psalm 103.1). Praise the Lord! You have been baptized in the Holy Spirit! And you have received His power to be His witness.

12. Speaking in Tongues Two important things you should know about speaking in tongues: 1. When you speak in tongues, the words you speak will not come from your mind, as in natural speech. They will come from deep inside, from your spirit. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being [his spirit] will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38). The Bible further says that the “one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries” (1Cor. 14:2). Paul testified, “For if I pray in a language I don't understand, my spirit is praying, but I don't know what I am saying” (v. 14 Living Bible).

13. Two Important things you should know about speaking in tongues (continued): 2. Your speaking will not be forced; it will be a natural flow of supernatural words. You should simply allow it to happen, and cooperate fully with the Spirit by boldly speaking out in faith You will begin to speak words you do not understand, words that are coming from the Spirit of God. When this happens, don’t be afraid. Let the words flow!

14. Expect Your Life to Change! The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a powerful life-changing experience. When you are filled with the Spirit, you can expect many wonderful changes to come into your life, such as, an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39) a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12:28) a greater consecration to God and His work (Acts 2:42) a more active love for Christ, His Word, and lost people (Mk 16:20). Witness for Christ Though many blessings come from being baptized in the Holy Spiit, its primary purpose is empowerment for witness (Acts 1:8). Once you have been filled with the Spirit, you should immediately begin witnessing for Christ.

15. The Experience Must Be Maintained The Spirit-filled life must be maintained. Once you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you must never think that you have “arrived.” And that there is nothing more you need to do. Spirit baptism does indeed bring one into a new and deeper relationship with the Lord. And yet, no matter how powerful your initial infilling may be, your new relationship must be continually renewed. Your life in the Spirit can be maintained by living a life of sincere devotion, disciplined prayer, holiness, and committed witness for Christ. © Acts in Africa Initiative, Springfield, MO. Website: http://actsinafrica.africawatch.com.